Your editorial of Tuesday, July 16, is extremely disturbing to me and to all those with whom I’ve had conversations about the Zimmerman/Trayvon debacle. It’s incendiary and arrogant, as has been all of the mainstream press coverage to date, especially NBC, which now faces a justified lawsuit for altering the original 911 tapes aired on major networks, making George Zimmerman sound like a racist.

I am addressing only a few points in the editorial that I find especially insulting to the many intelligent, thinking folks out here. You state early on that “a jury of six women” acquitted George Zimmerman. Is there something wrong with that? Lawyers from both sides chose those jurors, and women are intelligent and capable. Who are you to question their verdict?

You also make the incredible statement that Zimmerman is “now a free man though one with a heavy burden of moral culpability.” How do you know this? Now you’re a moral expert as well? Who made you judge and jury? It is tragic that a young man lost his life, but it is more tragic when politicos and press exploit a situation for their own ends — gun control, with which you end your editorial. Might I note, the U.S. Constitution, law and all major ethical and moral systems and religions recognize that killing in self-defense is morally acceptable.

In my opinion, your arrogance shows a lack of experience with evil in the real world. I was assaulted when I was 16 by a man whom I was able to punch down a flight of stairs in a train station in self-defense. If that happened in today’s politically (in)correct climate, my attacker could have sued me for violently pushing him down the stairs. His lawyer could suppress important information until the last second (prosecutor in Zimmerman case), the judge could dismiss the evidence with some ludicrous argument (ditto), and I could have been the one demonized and charged with assault. Ridiculous? No more insane than the situation created around this case.

To top it off, a sitting president actually helped fan the flames of racial tension with his unsolicited comments, before any facts had been investigated. And he and his attorney general are continuing to do so. This entire thing is out of control, and editorials like yours just fan the flames of even more violence.

Let justice do its job. If you don’t like the verdict remember your place. George Zimmerman was declared not guilty. Deal with it. It’s not about gun control.